Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation (IWPF) is a private foundation based in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Founded by Estelle and Irving Packer in 1987, it awards grants to nonprofit organizations serving children with special needs, acute illnesses, or chronic disabilities.
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation at a glance
In short: Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation gave $191K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), top state Virginia. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $190,502
- +8.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- -21.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,659
- +38.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,737,383
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (10 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (21% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
accepts unsolicited requests. The foundation’s website says applications must be submitted through its online portal; it no longer accepts paper or email submissions. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations and generally may not be private foundations. Applicants must disclose whether they are part of a government branch. The foundation does not ordinarily fund salaries, professional fees, operating expenses, or building programs. Awards are one-time grants, which may supplement other funding or fully support a proposal. Awardees must provide a notarized affidavit stating that the project has not received, and will not receive, duplicate funding, and submit a final report with proof of use within 60 days of receiving the grant.
- Review Cycle
- The website says applications are accepted through December 31 each year. The board considers requests after the submission period closes; notices are typically sent between May and July, with approved grants funded between July and August.
- Deadline
- The website says applications are accepted through December 31 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Iwp Foundation Attn Howard Packer
Mailing address: 411 Walnut Street 12272, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043-3443
Phone: (305) 861-5352
Website: https://www.iwpf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation
Who Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Aaron's Aces ($11K). Together the top 10 received $101K.
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 140 grants of 140 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to organizations in multiple states. The largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Virginia (21%), California (13%), Illinois (10%), Pennsylvania (6%), and South Carolina (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 22 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 32% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $160K (2020) to $219K (2021). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $191K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron's Aces Lancaster, PA | Provide Partial Scholarships for Participants at Camp | $10,500 |
| Camp Holiday Trails Charlottesville, VA | To build a hammock village for our counselors and campers with medical needs and chronic illnesses and provide a space to address mental wellness in the natural environment. | $10,000 |
| Camp Rise Above North Charleston, SC | Requesting for program activity costs and camperships for participants. | $10,000 |
| Danny Did Foundation Evanston, IL | To purchase 15 seizure detecting devices for families in need. | $10,000 |
| Hope to Walk Blacksburg, VA | Implement children's ak prosthetic program developed by iwpf htw partnership. | $10,000 |
| Hopecam Inc Reston, VA | To connect kids with cancer to their classroom and friends. | $10,000 |
| Reunion Sportive D'Haiti Inc Takoma Park, MD | Early Childhood Education and Feeding Program | $10,000 |
| Backpacks of Love Powhatan, VA | Eliminating hunger in school-age boys and girls by providing food for their weekends | $10,000 |
| Bridge to Mobility Westlake, OH | Provided funding and vehicles to families and orginizations with physically challenged individuals | $10,000 |
| Camp Starfish Ashby, MA | Summer camp services using a one-to-one model of staff mentoring | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,737,383 | $223,112 | $376,140 | $190,502 | 22 | $261,642 | $133,522 | $275,162 |
| 2024 | $4,886,548 | $90,062 | $359,699 | $175,603 | 28 | $246,839 | $95,416 | $255,693 |
| 2023 | $5,161,184 | $345,667 | $349,246 | $176,360 | 22 | $246,136 | $272,956 | $242,664 |
| 2022 | $5,168,218 | $534,334 | $344,143 | $196,958 | 38 | $265,257 | $487,987 | $280,523 |
| 2021 | $4,965,856 | $510,488 | $364,897 | $219,155 | 30 | — | $463,094 | $291,105 |
| 2020 | $4,808,346 | $112,953 | $304,335 | $160,300 | 31 | — | $140,603 | $254,087 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation reported a distributable amount of $275K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
IWPF’s stated purpose is to foster innovative ideas and projects for children facing challenges, including special needs, acute illnesses, and chronic disabilities. It makes grants to organizations, not individuals.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of services. Camp Holiday Trails says it creates a community where children and teens with medical needs can thrive; Camp Starfish describes its work as a therapeutic summer camp for children with emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. Other grantee examples include Backpacks of Love, which provides weekend food to school-age children, and Bridge to Mobility, which helps qualified applicants access adaptive vehicles or driving aids. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, IWPF reported 22 grants totaling $190,502. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $10,500, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest awards were $10,500 to an individual recipient for partial camp scholarships and $10,000 each to Camp Holiday Trails, Camp Rise Above, Danny Did Foundation, Hope to Walk, Hopecam, Reunion Sportive d’Haiti, Backpacks of Love, Bridge to Mobility, Camp Starfish, Cranio Care Bears, and Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area. The stated purposes included camp programs, seizure-detection devices, mobility support, food assistance, and services for children with medical needs or disabilities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dr. Edward Packer as chairman/president; Howard Packer as trustee; Stephen P. Weiss as secretary; Richard W. Culbertson Jr. as treasurer; Jeffrey Packer as chairman; and Emily Zappa and Amanda Kaye as trustees.
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation is led by Edward Packer, Chairman & President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 7 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edward Packer
Chairman & President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$48K (2020) → $48K (2025)
Jeffrey Packer
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Howard Packer Esq.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $35K (2025)
Amanda Kaye
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Zappa
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard W. Culbertson Jr.
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen P. Weiss
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $48K, to Dr Edward Packer (Chairman/President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation
How much does Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation give each year?
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation gave $191K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $176K across 28 grants.
What is Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation's typical grant size?
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $8,659, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation give grants?
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 21% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (13%) and Illinois (10%).
Does Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation's largest grantees?
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Aaron's Aces ($10,500), Camp Holiday Trails ($10,000) and Camp Rise Above ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation?
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $262K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $275K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation fund?
IWPF’s stated purpose is to foster innovative ideas and projects for children facing challenges, including special needs, acute illnesses, and chronic disabilities. It makes grants to organizations, not individuals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation?
accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation's EIN?
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-6083636. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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